By Ellalyn de Vera-Ruiz
At least 1,272 species of green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) across the Philippines have been identified by experts by simply studying photographs shared by the public dubbed as "citizen scientists."
Through the National Turtle Catalogue Project, the general public, which include divers and snorkelers, submit photographs of turtles to the professional scientists of the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE).
It combines the turtle research by LAMAVE in Apo Island Protected Landscape and Seascape (Negros Oriental), Balicasag Island and Panglao (Bohol), and multiple sites in southern Cebu, alongside photographic submissions from scuba divers, freedivers, snorkelers, underwater photographers, and local community members across the country.
"This collaboration allows the simultaneous and efficient collection of large amounts of data from multiple research sites," LAMAVE said in a statement.
"Photographs hold the key to identifying individual turtles, thanks to a non-invasive research technique called photo-identification. This technique uses the unique patterns on a turtle's head to distinguish one individual from another without the need for capturing or handling or touching the animal," it added.
Using this technique, LAMAVE researchers and citizen scientists have recorded 25,614 encounters with Green and Hawksbill Turtles, and identified 1,272 unique individuals across 40 research sites.
LAMAVE cited that by identifying individual marine turtles, scientists can determine the population, migration, and habitat patterns, allowing governments and communities to help design tourism policies and interaction guidelines to better protect and conserve these "endangered" species.
The project is also supported by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in collaboration with the Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB), and Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines.
While diving and snorkelling activities have been put on hold at the moment, LAMAVE is encouraging those with photos of turtles that may have been luckily taken in the past to share them.
A film promoting citizen science has been launched as part of this year's Month of the Ocean celebration. It was produced by LAMAVE in collaboration with the DENR-BMB, Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving, Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines, Green Fins, and The Reef-World Foundation.